Friday, December 24, 2010
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Life Cycle...
I have been a keen observer of Mother Nature and its flora and fauna. Once while working in my kitchen garden, I came across an amazing transformation that depicts the life cycle of a butterfly. I got focused on its developmental stages when I saw the first stage- a caterpillar clinging and trying to cover itself within the leaves crawling slowly. It kept growing in size till it fully encapsulated itself. I got curious and concerned when I did not notice any movement for quite some time. I became anxious and kept a close eye on it for days…….Finally my wait was rewarded and a beautiful butterfly emerged out of the Cocoon and flew away within no time to start the same cycle of life again. I gained valuable insight about different stages of life from the day we are born and we grow up and become mature.
Final, Chuan
For this photo I called it “snow?!”. Honestly, I thought about many ways to present a period time, like a flash, a short video, or make something. However, I couldn’t do it clearly to present my idea. So I chose an easy way to present it, which is make an ugly photo with my scored faces.
Since the first class of Time Based media, I noticed that I could use different ways to present time, even a photo. In this photo, I added many different faces that I took them in Boston. Most of them were taken when I was in Kaplan English school. You can see it, different seasons, and different places. Those faces not just show the time passed, also the different emotions. I had a very excited time during that time. So I want to show that emotion and excited moment.
For the background picture, my friend took it in November 2008, when the first snow came to Boston. I chose this one just because I haven’t seen snow yet in Boston this year.
3 Minute Movie Alternate Ending
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Friday, December 3, 2010
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Friday, November 26, 2010
Sharing - Yu Sun (Max)
This is a really great animation, and it is a graduation thesis project made by a group of students from Taiwan. I like the way they tell the story, from both the main character's perspective and the audience perspective. Hope you'll like it!
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Frances Stark - Lauren
Many of her other works include her self portrait in the act of creating the art itself. I feel as if she is pointing out how art is construction and not unlike other day to day chores and rituals we do everyday. It almost makes it feel mundane. These pieces also feel more personal because you get a glimpse of what this person looks like.
Sharing - Max(Yu Sun)
Timothy George Pierce - My Father from Tim Pierce - Zeros&Ones on Vimeo.
Frances Stark Exibition review by Max (Yu Sun)
The first impression of the exhibition is that the style is more unified than the "Artists' Books show", I think the main reason is because it is a single artist exhibition. But there are still a lot of diversity nested in the exhibition, for instance, various of materials, various of way of assembling. Also, based on these differences, my emotion can be affected by the author's emotion at the time he was creating them.
Let me started with one of my favorite piece of Frances Stark's works. The name of that piece is "Toward a Score for Load every rift with ore", and I am so lucky that I found it online. The first thing I love about this art is the sources. Stark used daily life materials like letters, shipping labels, recipes to make the collage, and drew a chair in the middle of the collage. I have a feeling that I am sitting on the black chair and trying to handle my everyday life. It is the true feeling, not just from a printed pictures. Second, I was thinking about why he cut all those papers in to incomplete chunks? My very own answer is that he wanted to leave the audience some sort of imagination about the art work, I may say "Nothing is perfect."
The second one I want to mention is the one named "Pretty Ugly". The painting is a portrait girl. When I saw it for the first time with its title on it, I thought that was really ugly. But when I double checked it, I saw the girl's face were formed by flowers. And I think that is why the author called the painting Pretty Ugly. I have to admit the word "ugly" was really leading me to a wrong place at first. But fine arts needed to be watch carefully from itself.
There were few questions in my mind when I am done seeing the exhibition. Most of Frances Stark's artworks I saw were made with daily materials, and he always put things that have nothing relation to each other together to form a new object. The object could be a daily life stuff, or even a creative, assembled invention. But why is the artist think that way? How could he managed to put those stuff together? Were the ideas coming to his mind directly by some inspiration, or he was intentionally doing so? But anyway, Spark's works really give those daily matters a new life, and make them three-dimensioned other than laying on a 2D paper.
That is a great exhibition!
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Frances Stark Review - Michael Canavan
One thing that I noticed about Stark's work is that she uses birds in a number of her pieces. The first work that you see when you walk in the gallery is of a parrot standing on a branch. That is all the the work contains. No background images or colors, just the parrot and the branch. It still is an incredible piece of work and will grab your attention. This, along with her other works with birds in them are the works of art of hers that I appreciate. I liked how she used a collage of printed text from various articles to give the branch shape and definition. I don't know what she was trying to say through this piece. Was she trying to say how digital technology is overtaking the printed word in today's environment? Or maybe she was just making a piece of art with no hidden message. I don't know.
One piece that I liked (and I am sure many others liked as well) was "The Inchoate Incarnate: After a Drawing, Toward an Opera, but before a Libretto Even Exists." It was very creative of her to look at an old rotary dial phone and see in it, the image of a woman. What I get out of the work is that Stark believes that many people are addicted to modern technology (mostly cell phones) nowadays. A great number of people deal with others through emails and texting instead of talking to people face to face. Don't get me started with people on the bus talking loudly (cell phone) for all to hear.
The final piece that I really liked for its creativity was the PowerPoint presentation: "Structures That Fit My Opening." Just like the "Cats Video'" it kept my attention for a few minutes. It's sound effect could be heard at various points throughout the whole gallery. I heard them as I first entered the gallery and, at that point, I had no idea from where they were coming. Although the presentation itself wasn't as creative as just the idea of the work, I did enjoy watching it for a few moments. What I did like about it was that once the presentation concluded and started again, the presentation was different. It was not the same every time.
The gallery was smaller than I anticipated which was a little disappointing but I still enjoyed myself while there. For the most part I liked most of Frances Starks' work, aside from one or two that annoyed me. I won't discuss the pieces. I'll just say that I don't like "works of art" that have items of clothes hanging from them. Other than those pieces, I really enjoyed my time at the Frances Stark gallery.
Frances Stark Review - Anne Kane
Her work is somewhat technically simplistic compared to other artists. However simple is not a bad thing. I learned that she was also a writer and a poet. This explains her broad use of text and the written word in her work.
Her use of collage is multilayered and the parts create a whole. I equally enjoyed her pieces that were in black and white as well as color. Some of my favorite pieces were the peacock, the metallic dresser near the beginning of the gallery and the 3D telephone made of black fabric near the end.
Frances Stark
The first part of my review was wrote just after returning from the exposition. Before publishing I kept thinking why I had such a bad reaction to her art and realize that something Mrs Stark said is true, we need to understand the moment and time in which a piece is created, I believe my mood at the time of the exposition really influenced my perception on her work and made me realize how our emotions clearly influence our perception on everything.
“It is the spectator, and not life, that art really mirrors”
Oscar WildeTuesday, November 16, 2010
Northeastern State of Mind
Here is the complete Lyrics :
I Crossed Over the Green Line
Monday, November 15, 2010
Frances Stark Exhibition - Natthaphol
Friday, November 12, 2010
Frances Stark Review- Naveen
I had the first setback at the reception when I was told very courteously that Photography is prohibited inside the gallery and so I had to make mental notes while I went around the space.
From my point of view I found Frances Starks’s Gallery to be an exhibit par excellence. I was drawn towards her collages formed by combination of text, word, writings & images, which seems to be taken from varied collected pictorial source material. The intricately textured collages made with snippets of text and graphic elements finds interrelations between art and literature and image and text. When I entered the gallery I witnessed the diaphanous paper works having a frenetic quality that thematically unleashes the transcripts with sketches and literary appropriations, mesmerizing me to go further ahead.
I left the gallery while debating to myself on some of the thought provoking art work:
An excellent hieroglyphic Paper Collage titled Chorus Girl folding self in half. I found the circles to be a playful use of material to unfold the pictorial language while sharing the mechanisms of the dynamic interaction. Overall the visual appeal of the picture was more profound while concentrating on one circle and others seem to acquire dynamic shifts, to highlight the multiple aspects of life where paths criss-cross again and again.
The In & In Collage is a stack of two papers meticulously arranged with text and images. The images pinpoint the task of sifting through the regular piles of reading followed by the dull process of sorting out the junk mails. The collective art addresses the paradox of reproducing visuals that are non photogenic by nature.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Frances Stark gallery review -- Yao
Date: Nov. 12th, 2010
Class: Time-Based Media
Name: Yao Xiao
I went to the gallery yesterday and the building is easy to find out. Except the Frances Stark show, there were some other good shows some days ago, I feel regret to miss those shows. When I walked into the building, I noticed we are not allowed to take photos (but I still took some), even can not stand too close to the pictures (before I wore my glasses on), I felt so lucky I took my glasses with me, so that I can saw clearly how the artist did it even though the pictures are huge…
The first impression the gallery gives me is collages, almost all the art works are huge collages with some drawing on, thy are hang on the white walls in a very big and clean room, it makes the collages very outstanding and clean. After appreciating all the artistic works and reading the notes beside each ones, I found the artist selected varieties of materials as media, such as rice paper which used the most, plastic, cloth, newspaper, magazine, rope, polyester and so on. The combination of materials gives the collage different weight and layers, so that the theme of the picture could be spread better than only one material does. Between the dozens of collages, I have strong impression on three of them.
Frances Stark, Push, 2006
Latex, printed matter, linen tape and stickers on panel
Courtesy of Marc Foxx, Los Angeles.
The first one is this collage called “push”, in this picture, a door is open and tons of unknown stuff flying through the door. In my opinion, it is talking about peoples’ life in nowadays, since computer era came into human’s society, our life is full filled with emails, advertisements and software. Everyday before people push the office door, those emails, advertisements are already waiting there and cannot wait to pull you into the endless world till the day end. Seeing the picture carefully, the colorful stripe is stretching from the left side of the picture to the door handle. It means since the moment people touch the door handle it turns the switch on, a day with computer started.
The second one it this “tree”, the tree trunk is made of letters, the tree leaves and braches are made of letters and birds, from tree trunk to bird, artist used letters transformed to birds naturally, it is a imagery about people’s thought, thoughts are diverging and wide, every tiny thought may becomes a bright idea or invention, it is hard to detect like flying birds, no one knows where the birds is flying to in the next second.
For the last one I want to talk about, it is because it dimensions unlike other collages, it is a people-shaped model in black dress with an old phone’s dial plate stick on it. People are like a telephone, a connector or a speaker, as the telephone receives messages, news and sounds it also spread out to the other. In society, people are sources, recipients and media for others, like telephones’ wire lines (on the back of the model) tie each other together and sew them into a net, visible or not.
As for art, different people thinks in his way, maybe what I felt is not the idea the artist wanted to express, but this is my opinion on the art works.
Friday, November 5, 2010
MIT List Gallery - To see and times etc etc etc
Gallery Hours:
Tuesday-Wednesday: 12-6PM; Friday-Sunday: 12-6PM; Thursday: 12-8PM; Closed Mondays and Major Holidays. Information: 617.253.4680 or http://listart.mit.edu
All exhibitions at the MIT List Visual Arts Center are free and open to the public.
Directions:
- The MIT List Visual Arts Center is located in the Wiesner Building, 20 Ames St., at the eastern edge of the MIT campus. It is in close proximity to Kendall Square, Memorial Drive, and the Longfellow Bridge.
- By T, take the red line to the Kendall/MIT stop, follow Main St. west to Ames St., turn left, and walk one block to the cross walk. The MIT List Visual Arts Center housed in a building identifiable by its white gridded exterior, will be on your left. Signage is on the building.
- By car, coming across the Longfellow Bridge or from Memorial Drive, follow signs for Kendall Square. Limited metered parking is available on Ames Street. A parking garage is located at the Cambridge Center complex (entrance on Ames between Main and Broadway) during business hours and on campus after business hours and on weekends.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Camera Angles and Techniques - Nat Paosong
completed shot list--Yibiao
Kane was driving, we saw it from the inside of the car, back from the chair. She drived for a long time(like 40 or 60 seconds in the timeline so long to make the audience feel bored). Then she stopped, walking out of the car. We can see the bridge as a background. She kept walking until the edge of the bridge. She was watching the sight in front of her. Then the background was twisting and change to a wasteland(wired background music, and mist spreading). Every where is like in the video game Fallout. The bridge was still there, but it was very crashed form. She didn't know what to do so she just walked. She saw someone then she ask him. She keep walking until she saw a river(the river is dark and full of something strange). Two men came, and put her in a raft. She travelled along the river. Along the river side, there are very strange animal and thing keep bouncing. At last she came to a cliff, the raft fall. She screamed and fall of. Then She waked up
Dream Script, Storyboard, and Shot list- Lauren
In POV shot, someone walks up to the nightclub door and pulls it open. Pulsing muffled beats are heard from afar.
INT: NIGHTCLUB
POV moving into club.
MALE V.O.
In my dream i am at a live concert.
It’s very dark with many flashing colored lights criss crossing in front and some in the camera lens. The music is pumping full volume and is crystal clear, “Sleepyhead” by Passion Pit. Once fully in the club, it’s apparent that the place is jammed with people excited about who is onstage. Some are cheering with their hands up, others swaying or jumping. Quick CUs to illustrate the confusion and chaos of the scene. It’s dark and the figures are pretty indecipherable, very saturated. We never see who is actually on stage, maybe there is no one?
POV shot turns around to reveal a tall, thin man, MAX sitting on a beaten up, black bicycle. He appears to be pensive about the situation in front of him. After taking in a few deep breaths he appears ready for the task at hand.
Max wheels his bike through the crowd to the front of the stage and gets up on it. He looks around at the audience yet he can never see anything except blinding spotlights. It’s silent now.
INT: NIGHTCLUB STAGE
Figuring he should do something as to avoid utter embarrassment, he gets on his bike and starting peddling around the stage. From far back you hear a clap and a few whistles from the crowd. It spurs Max on and he rides now with no hands. The cheers get louder, funky music begins, and Max’s confidence grows. A montage of him riding around faster and with no hands, CUs of the parts of the bike, his goofy elated face, the cheering crowd. The montage ends with the overconfident Max trying to pop a wheelie and having the bike flip over and land on top of him as he falls to the ground on his back. A collective “oooooh” resonates through the whole club. Max sits on the floor humiliated.
OS MALE VO
What are doing?
Max turns around to where the voice is coming from and sees that it is a woman and recognizes her as his friend LUCY. But why on earth is Lucy speaking like a man? He doesn’t say anything just gives her a quizzical look.
LUCY
(still male VO)
It’s terrible. We’re going to
be late for class. Let’s go.
Lucy turns and walks out through the back of the stage and is gone.
Max still is sitting on the ground more confused than ever. The
club is now silent and there is no one else there. Slowly it’s
gets darker and darker in the room. Max looks around panicked.
MAX
Wait.
It gets darker until it Max is in complete darkness.
MAX
WAIT!
INT: CLASSROOM- day
Max has his head down on the desk, apparently sleeping. An arm is on his shoulder shoving him to wake up. It's Lucy.
LUCY
Let's go. We're gonna be late
for class.
Max slowly comes to realize he fell asleep in class, again, and snaps his head up. Lucy's voice is back to normal.
LUCY
You might want to start sitting
in the back. And check the drool
(gestures to her mouth).
Lucy walks towards the door. Max quickly wipes his mouth and grabs his bag. They head out of the classroom.
INT: HALLWAY- day
They begin to walk down the hall.
MAX
Oh I need to get my bike (looks around).
LUCY
What bike? You don't have a bike, buddy.
We walked to class together.
MAX
Yeah...right.
They continue to walk down the hallway getting further and further away. The camera pans over to the left where the beaten, black bike is leaning against the wall.
CU hand pulling door open
POV walking into club
WS of club crowd
CU of audience swaying to music
CU of audience cheering
CU of bright spotlights in camera lens
WS of various lights going on and off
MS of Max on bike from front
LS of Max walking bike to stage
LS of Max getting to center of stage w/bike
MS of Max standing with bike
Over shoulder high angle shot of Max looking into bright light.
Reverse shot low angle Max looking at light
LS Max getting on bike and riding around
Tracking shot of him riding
CU of Max’s face happy for the cheers
XCUs of parts of bike
XCUs of Max’s face
CU of Max with goofy face
MS slow motion of Max popping wheelie falling back and out of frame
Extreme high angle of Max on his back
MS of Max sitting up and coming into frame
MS behind Max as he turns to hear the voice, partially silhouetted
FS of Lucy mostly in darkness as she speaks and then leaves
CU of Max’s face in the confusion as it gets darker and darker and fades to black
CU of Max with his head down on the desk with arm entering frame shaking him
MS of Lucy telling Max to wake up
MS of Max waking up startled
LS of them walking out of classroom from behind
LS of them coming through door of classroom to hallway
CU of Max saying yeah…right
LS to ELS of the two walking down the hallway away from camera
PAN from LS to wall where bike is leaning
Shot List and Storyboard - Anne Kane
Script
The dreamer is walking across campus and everything is blurry. There is a mist in the air and nothing is in focus. The shots are all POV of the dreamer unless indicated otherwise. A long shot shows the campus and shows people walking by not paying attention to the dreamer. The dreamer looks at his feet and hands in close-up shots.
Two 360 degree shots, one POV and the other reversed showing the dreamer build tension and confusion. Someone bumps into the dreamer but continues walking away without an acknowledgement. A friend of the dreamer stops to talk.
FRIEND A
Hey
DREAMER
Hi, do you feel how strange it is out here today? I feel like I'm not even here.
FRIEND A
I think you need to get some sleep man.
Dreamer stands still as friend A walks away. The dreamer then reaches out to touch the shoulder of a passer-by. The passerby turns around and gives the dreamer a weird look then walks away. Dreamer then walks into a wall. Fade to black.